Smart reminders for responding to emails

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods herein provide for improved email efficiency. Based on selections made while drafting an email, a user requesting a response can cause a calendar reminder to be generated and sent to a recipient for automatic entry on that recipient&#39;s electronic calendar. When the original sender indicates that an appropriate response has been received, the system can cause the calendar entry to be removed from the recipient&#39;s calendar. The system can also generate automatic reminder emails to prompt the recipient to respond to the sender. The sender can access a list of outstanding email responses that are still due from various recipients and modify the associated reminders as desired.

BACKGROUND

Despite increasing options for digital communication, such as instantmessaging and social media, email communication remains the leading formof business communication. Worldwide, over 200 billion emails are senton an average day. Despite the impressive volume, email communicationcontinues to suffer from inefficiencies that have long plagued users.

A major inefficiency of email communication occurs when a user sends anemail requesting a response from the email recipient. The user mightrequest, for example, a document or a written explanation from therecipient. In many cases, the recipient does not respond in a timelymanner. The burden is then on the user to follow up with the recipient.This can require the user to remember to follow up, either by memory orby manually creating a reminder such as a written note or a calendarentry. If the user remembers to follow up, they may need to searchthrough their sent emails to locate the original request and forward itto the recipient with a reminder note. Even then, additional remindersmay be needed in the future if no response is received.

Regardless of the precise manner in which the user chooses to trackresponses and follow up as needed, the burden still remains on thatuser. For users that send high volumes of email requests, keeping upwith these requests and following up accordingly can becomeoverwhelming. The result is a loss of work productivity, either due tospending too much time managing emails, allowing emails to gounanswered, or a combination of both.

Some solutions provide an option for an email sender to generate areminder, such as a calendar reminder, for the sender to follow up withan email recipient regarding an outstanding response. However, thesesolutions fail to solve the core issue of placing the full burden ofmanaging responses on the original sender. For example, the sender wouldstill be required to interact with a calendar reminder, locate the sentemail, and send another email requesting a response.

For at least these reasons, a need exists for systems and methods thatimprove email efficiency. More specifically, a need exists for smartreminders that decrease the burden on the original email sender whileproviding the recipient with convenient reminders for responding tooutstanding emails.

SUMMARY

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description andthe following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory onlyand are not restrictive of the examples, as claimed.

Systems and methods herein provide for improved email efficiency. Anexample method can include generating a draft email in an emailapplication, such as BOXER, on a user device. The email application canprovide a first option for a sender to enable a recipient responsereminder for the email. The application can also provide a second optionfor the sender to select a date or time period for the reminder. In someexamples, the first and second option can be incorporated into a singleselection for the sender.

If the first and second options are selected by the sender, the methodcan include automatically generating a calendar file based on the firstand second options. The calendar file can have, for example, an ICS fileformat so that it can be incorporated into different types of calendarapplications. The email application can attach the calendar file to thedraft email and send the email and attached calendar file to arecipient. The attached calendar file can be configured to automaticallypopulate an entry on the recipient's calendar based on the first andsecond options selected by the sender. For example, the calendar filecan be set for a date that corresponds with the second option selectedby the user. The calendar file can include information identifying theemail to which a response was requested. The term “calendar” is usedherein to denote any type of electronic calendar, such as the calendarprovided with BOXER, MICROSOFT OUTLOOK, or with the APPLE operatingsystems, for example.

The example method can also include, in response to receiving anindication from the sender that a response has been received, causingthe calendar entry on the recipient's calendar to be removed. Theindication can be a selection made by the sender in the emailapplication, for example, based on the sender receiving an adequateresponse from the recipient.

In one example, causing the calendar entry on the recipient's calendarto be removed includes sending a request to a management server at whichboth the sender and recipient are enrolled. For example, the managementserver can be part of an enterprise mobility management (“EMM”) system.Managed applications can be installed on the enrolled devices, allowingthe management server to control particular functionality of the managedapplications. In one example, the management server can cause therecipient's calendar to update based on sending a command to a calendardatabase, managed email server, or the recipient device.

In another example, causing the calendar entry on the recipient'scalendar to be removed includes sending a request to the recipient'semail server. These examples can also be combined, such as by sending arequest to a management server which then provides an instruction to therecipient's email server to remove the calendar entry on the recipient'scalendar.

A user's email application can provide a list of all recipient responsereminders sent by that user. For example, the user can access a pagewithin the email application that provides a graphical user interface(“GUI”) showing a list of the response reminders sent to other users onbehalf of that user. The list can include pertinent information such asthe time remaining before the response deadline, the recipient of theemail, and the subject of the email. The GUI can also include optionsfor performing various actions with respect to the outstanding responsereminders, such as deleting, marking as completed, or editing. Editingcan include, for example, altering the response deadline or addinginformation to be displayed in a user's calendar event. Within the listof recipient response reminders in an email application, deleting ormarking complete a response reminder can cause the accompanying reminderevent in the recipient's calendar to be removed.

When an email recipient responds to an email associated with a responsereminder, the original sender can receive a prompt from the emailapplication on their device. For example, the email application candetermine that the email is in response to an earlier email associatedwith a response reminder and then prompt the user with an option toindicate that the response email fully satisfies the user's request. Ifso, the user can provide an indication accordingly (and cause thecalendar reminder to be removed from the original recipient's calendar).If no indication is received, the calendar reminder will remain on therecipient's calendar.

In some examples, the email application can provide various prompts tothe user based on parsing the text of sent and received emails. Forexample, if an email is being sent with text that includes, for example,the phrase “please let me know by the end of the week,” then the emailapplication can prompt the user with an option to send a responsereminder for the day associated with the end of the business week. Inanother example, when the user receives a response to an email thatgenerated a response reminder, the email application can parse at leastthe subject line of the response and prompt the user with an option toremove the calendar reminder associated with the original email.

The email application can also automatically send a reminder email to anemail recipient in certain circumstances. For example, if the sender hasnot indicated that a suitable response has been received, the emailapplication can send a reminder email before the response deadline. Thetiming of the reminder email can be customized by the sender to allowfor different scenarios. For example, when the response might take ahigh degree of time or effort, the user may choose to set a potentialreminder email one day before the response deadline. On the other hand,if the response is a simple yes or no, the user may choose to set thepotential reminder email to one hour before the response deadline. Thereminder email can be, for example, a forward of the original email witha header insertion that clearly explains when the response is due.

In another example, a system is provided for improving email efficiency.The system can include a user device that includes a processor, adisplay, and an email application. The processor of the user device canperform various stages for improving email efficiency. For example, itcan generate a draft email in the email application and provide firstand second options associated the email. The first option can enable arecipient response reminder for the email, while the second option canprovide a date or time period for the reminder. In some examples, theseoptions are provided in one combined option, such as a button that, ifselected, enables a response reminder for a particular time period.

If the first and second options are selected by the sender, theprocessor of the user device can automatically generate a calendar fileand attach it to the draft email. The processor can then send the emailand attached calendar file to a recipient. The calendar file can beconfigured to automatically populate an entry on the recipient'scalendar based on the first and second options selected by the sender.In response to receiving an indication from the sender that a responsehas been received, the processor can cause the calendar entry on therecipient's calendar to be removed.

In another example, a non-transitory, computer-readable medium isprovided. The computer-readable medium includes instructions that, whenexecuted by a processor of a computing device, cause the processor toperform stages for improving email efficiency. This can include, forexample, generating a draft email in the email application and providefirst and second options associated the email. The first option canenable a recipient response reminder for the email, while the secondoption can provide a date or time period for the reminder. As mentionedabove, these options can be provided in one combined option, such as abutton that, if selected, enables a response reminder for a particulartime period.

The stages can further include, if the first and second options areselected by the sender, automatically generating a calendar file andattaching it to the draft email. The stages can also include sending theemail and attached calendar file to a recipient. The calendar file canbe configured to automatically populate an entry on the recipient'scalendar based on the first and second options selected by the sender.The stages can also include, in response to receiving an indication fromthe sender that a response has been received, causing the calendar entryon the recipient's calendar to be removed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is an exemplary illustration of an example GUI of an emailapplication on a user device.

FIG. 1B is an exemplary illustration of an example GUI of an emailapplication on a user device.

FIG. 1C is an exemplary illustration of an example GUI of an emailapplication on a user device.

FIG. 1D is an exemplary illustration of an example GUI of an emailapplication on a user device.

FIG. 1E is an exemplary illustration of an example GUI of an emailapplication on a user device.

FIG. 1F is an exemplary illustration of an example GUI of an emailapplication on a user device.

FIG. 2 is an exemplary illustration of an example GUI on a user device.

FIG. 3 is an exemplary flow diagram of an example system for improvingemail efficiency.

FIG. 4 is an exemplary flow diagram of an example system for improvingemail efficiency.

FIG. 5 is an exemplary flowchart of an example method for improvingemail efficiency.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EXAMPLES

Reference will now be made in detail to the present examples, includingexamples illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible,the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to referto the same or like parts.

Systems and methods herein provide for improved email efficiency. Basedon selections made while drafting an email, a user requesting a responsecan cause a calendar reminder to be generated and sent to a recipientfor automatic entry on that recipient's electronic calendar. When theoriginal sender indicates that an appropriate response has beenreceived, the system can cause the calendar entry to be removed from therecipient's calendar. The system can also generate automatic reminderemails to prompt the recipient to respond to the sender. The sender canaccess a list of outstanding email responses that are still due fromvarious recipients and modify the associated reminders as desired.

FIG. 1 provides an illustration of a user device 110 capable of sendingemails. A user device 110 can be any computing device, such as asmartphone, laptop, tablet, personal computer, or workstation. A userdevice 110 can include a non-transitory, computer-readable mediumcontaining instructions that are executed by a processor. Examplenon-transitory, computer-readable mediums include RAM and ROM, disks,and other memory and storage that is accessible by a USB port, a floppydrive, CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive, and a flash drive, among others.

The user device 110 can execute one or more email applications. Theseapplications can be standard email applications installed as part of anoperating system, such as APPLE's iOS MAIL application or MICROSOFTOUTLOOK. The applications can also be aftermarket email solutions, suchas VMWARE's BOXER. The email applications can be standalone, unmanagedapplications, or they can be managed by a management server that enrollsthe user device 110. The management server can provide rules, limits,and other configurations for any managed email application. Themanagement server's functionality is discussed in more detail withrespect to FIG. 4.

Regardless of whether the email applications are managed or not, theycan utilize one or more outgoing email servers based on the emailaddresses associated with the application. For example, if the userassociates an EXCHANGE-based email address with an email application onthe user device 110, the user device 110 will access an outgoing emailserver that is an EXCHANGE server. If the user associates multiple emailaddresses, using different email servers, with an email application, theuser device 110 can associate with the various email servers. When theuser attempts to send an email from a particular email address, the userdevice 110 can select the appropriate outgoing email server based on theaddress. Although the singular term “server” is used throughout thisdisclosure, a “server” can include multiple servers, processors,computing devices, and storage mediums.

The email applications can also route email through a secure emailgateway (“SEG”). The SEG can be positioned between the user device 110and an outgoing email server, routing the outgoing emails accordingly.In some examples, the SEG is a part of the outgoing email server.

The email application can be displayed on the user device 110 through aGUI 120. The GUI 120 of FIG. 1 is merely an example, and other GUIs canbe used based on the particular email application, type of operatingsystem, or type of user device 110 being utilized. The GUI 120 caninclude traditional email features, such as a header 130 section at thetop providing a title for the current page being shown on the GUI 120.In this example, the header 130 includes the word “Compose” to indicatethat the email application is presenting a draft email to be composed bythe user. The header 130 can also include a button for deleting thedraft email (shown as an “x”) and a button for sending the email (shownas an arrow).

The GUI 120 can also include a “TO” field 140 in which the user caninclude one or more email addresses. This field 140 can be expanded bythe user—for example, by pressing the screen at the location of thefield 140—to reveal additional fields such as “CC” and “BCC” fields. TheGUI 120 further includes a subject field 150 in which the user caninclude a subject for the email. The body portion 180 of the GUI 120 canbe included beneath the previous fields, providing the user with alocation to compose the text of their email.

The GUI 120 can also include a reminder prompt 160 for prompting theuser with an option to send a response reminder to the email recipient.In this example, the reminder prompt 160 is denoted “Smart ResponseAssistant,” which is merely an example name for the reminder system. Theprompt 160 can take any form and be located at any location on the GUI120. For example, the prompt 160 can be a button that, if selected,activates the reminder system. The prompt 160 can also be a textquestion, such as “Turn on Reminder?”, coupled with buttons forselecting yes or no. While the prompt 160 of FIG. 1A is shown in orabove the body 180 of the email, it can be located anywhere. Forexample, the prompt 160 can be provided as an icon in a corner of thescreen that, when selected, provides an option for turning on thereminder system.

The reminder prompt 160 can include a button or slider for activating areminder for the email being drafted. The button or slider can beconsidered a GUI element. In this example, the reminder prompt 160 iscoupled with a slider 170. The slider 170 can be presented by default orin response to a user selecting the reminder prompt 160. If the slider170 is set to “ON,” a reminder can be activated for this email when theemail is sent. Selecting the slider 170 or any option associated withthe prompt 160 can be considered a “first option” with respect tosetting up a reminder for the email.

A second option can be provided that allows the sending user to select aparticular date and time by which a response is needed. In the exampleof FIG. 1B, a grid 190 is provided. The grid can be considered a secondGUI element. The grid 190 can provide various date options that allowthe user to select a date and time. The grid 190 can be displayed on theGUI 120 as a result of the user toggling the slider 170 from “off” to“on.” It can also be displayed by default, regardless of the status ofthe slider 170. The email application can provide configurable defaultsettings for the grid 190, such that the user can determine whether thegrid 190 appears by default or as a result of the slider 170 beingtoggled.

In the example shown in FIG. 1B, the grid 190 provides six options: 1hour, 1 day, 2 days, 1 week, end of week, and custom. These options aremerely examples. A user can customize the default grid 190 options tosuit their particular needs. For example, a user that consistentlyrequires information within a 10-day window can customize the grid 190such that the first option is 10 days. A user can also customize thedefault grid 190 to show a particular number of options, rather thanthat six options shown in FIG. 1B. For example, the user can set thegrid 190 to show one row of three options, two rows of six totaloptions, or three rows of nine total options. The user can also changethe number of options per row.

The time periods set forth in the grid 190 options can begin at the timethat an email is sent. For example, if the user selects the one-houroption from the grid 190 and then sends the email 20 minutes later, thecalendar reminder provided to the email recipient will include adeadline that is one hour from the time that the email was sent. In anexample where the selected grid 190 option is a particular date or time,such as “end of week,” the calendar reminder provided to the emailrecipient will not be based on the time of sending the email—instead, itwould be set for a time associated with the end of the week, such as theupcoming Friday at 5 P.M.

The grid 190 can also provide a “custom” option that allows a user toselect a precise date and time. For example, when the user selects the“custom” option, the device 110 can display a date-selector window ontop of the email application GUI 120. The user can utilize the dateselector to navigate to a particular date. As part of the process ofselecting a custom date, the user can also be prompted to enter aparticular time for the selected date. The user can choose not toprovide a time, in which case the application can choose a default timesuch as the close of business for that day.

Another example option for enabling a response reminder is shown in FIG.1C. The email application on the device 110 can automatically parse thetext of the draft email to determine whether the user might want toenable a response reminder. For example, the email application cansearch for days of the week, dates, or times in the text of the draftemail and, based on the context, infer what the user might want. In theexample of FIG. 1C, the email application has parsed the text of thedraft email and located the phrase “by Friday.” The email applicationcan mark the relevant text with a locator box 192 and display a questionbox 194. The locator box 192 provides the user with context for how andwhy the application is displaying the question box 194.

The question box 194 can display a prompt to the user regarding settinga response reminder for the recipient, based on the informationidentified in the draft email and marked by the locator box 192. Theprompt can be a question or other statement. In the example of FIG. 1C,the question box 194 displays a question asking the user if he or sheneeds a response by Friday, Apr. 28, 2017. In one example, the date ischosen based on the “by Friday” language in the body of the draft email,combined with the fact that the next Friday on the calendar was Apr. 28,2017. The email application can utilize any contextual information todetermine what a user is most likely to need. If, for example, the textof the draft email stated “by next Friday,” than the email applicationcould search ahead for the date of the following Friday and use it forthe question box 194.

The email application can use any source of information to gain contextas to whether a user might want to set up a response reminder for therecipient, and if so, the date and time for which reminder should bescheduled. For example, the email application can access previousresponse reminders sent to the same recipient from the sending user. Inthat example, the application can access a storage database orserver—such as a management server, email server, SEG, or a localstorage—to identify patterns or other historical information that wouldprovide context. If the user has sent previous response reminders to thesame recipient, an identifiable pattern may provide insight into whetherthe user wants to send a reminder. For example, if the user alwaysrequests a 24-hour response reminder to a first email recipient, theemail application can prompt the user with an option to set a 24-hourresponse reminder via the question box 194 and response buttons 196. Thequestion box 194 and response buttons 196 can be considered GUIelements.

The email application can use machine learning techniques to identifyany relevant patterns, such as patterns with respect to particular emailrecipients, organizational groups, subject lines or the subject matterof emails, dates and times of sending the initial emails, holidays,weekends, or any other relevant data. The email application can alsoaccess the sender's electronic calendar to select times that do notinterfere with vacation or other events. Similarly, the application canaccess the recipient's electronic calendar—for example, by access themanagement server or the recipient's email server—to determine whether apotential response deadline would conflict with any other event. Theapplication can either avoid recommending a conflicting time in thequestion box 194 or present the user with a warning of the potentialconflict.

Although box 194 is referred to as a “question box,” it need not containa question. For example, the box 194 can include a statement, such as:“a response is due by Friday, Apr. 28, 2017.” Regardless of the form ofthe language in the box 194, a user can respond by selecting a responsebutton 196. In the example of FIG. 1C, two response buttons 196 areshown: yes and no. By selecting yes, the user provides the emailapplication with an indication that the response reminder should be sentto the email recipient for the date and/or time specified in the box194. If the user selects no, then the email application can provide afollow-up question for the user, such as “Do you need a response by adifferent date or time?” If the user selects yes to this follow-upquestion, the application can display a date-selector for the user toselect a desired day and time. Selecting a date and/or time can set theresponse reminder to automatically be sent with the email. In someexamples, the user can also be prompted with a subject line or title tobe used on the recipient's calendar. Otherwise, the email applicationcan use the senders name, subject line of the email, date of the email,or any combination thereof for the recipient's description of thereminder.

In another example, the response button 196 is an option to cancel theresponse reminder. If the user does not choose to cancel and then sendsthe email, the application can initiate the response reminder withoutfurther input from the user. For example, the question box 194 can state“A response will be required by Friday, Apr. 28, 2017” and the responsebuttons 196 can be “edit” and “cancel.” If the user sends the emailwithout selecting either response button 196, the response reminder canbe set up based on the Apr. 28, 2017 date.

Once a user selects the appropriate options, the email application cancreate a calendar invitation with the relevant information. In theexample of FIG. 1C, selecting the “yes” button 196 can cause thecalendar invitation to be created and attached to the email. Thecalendar invitation can include, for example, a date of Friday, Apr. 28,2017, and include a title or subject such as “Respond to Anne re:Requested Information.” The calendar file can have an .ICS file format,for example, so that it can be incorporated into different types ofcalendar applications. In some examples, the calendar file is onlycreated and attached after the user attempts to send the email. In yetother examples, the calendar file is not attached to the email but issent separately, such as by sending a separate message to therecipient's email server. These details are discussed in more depth withrespect to FIGS. 3 and 4.

In one example, when a response reminder is enabled for an email, theemail application can automatically add a section 182 to the body 180 ofan email as shown in FIG. 1D. The section 182 can provide informationregarding the reminder associated with the email, such as by statingthat the sender has requested a response by a certain date. The section182 can be added to the beginning of the email to increase visibilityfor the user receiving the email. In some examples, and as shown in FIG.1D, the section 182 can be added to the draft version of the email, suchthat the user can edit the section 182 or at least view it. The section182 can be automatically added to the draft email in response toselecting a reminder prompt 160 by, for example, activating a slider 170such that it turns from “OFF” to “ON.”

In some examples, the email application does not add the section 182 tothe draft version of the email, instead adding it after the email issent. The section 182 can alternatively be added to the email by anemail server or gateway rather than the email application. In eithercase, the section 182 can be added such that it is only seen by theemail recipient (or recipients).

When a user wants to send an email to multiple recipients, the emailapplication can provide granular control over which recipients receiveresponse reminders as illustrated further in FIG. 1E. The GUI 120 shownin FIG. 1E depicts a draft email addressed to three different emailaddresses: jdoe@vmware.com, kmiller@vmware.com, and jsmith@vmware.com.In this example, when the slider 170 associated with the reminder prompt160 is set to “ON,” a set of recipient-specific sliders 184 aredisplayed on the GUI 120. In this example, three recipient-specificsliders 184 are displayed, each associated with one of the three emailrecipients listed in the recipient field 140. The user can turn responsereminders off or on for each recipient using the sliders 184.

When any of the recipient-specific sliders 184 are set to “ON,” a secondoption can be provided to the sending user that allows the user toselect a particular date and time for the response reminder. The secondoption can be a grid 190, as discussed with respect to FIG. 1B, or aquestion box 194, as discussed with respect to FIG. 1C. Any other optionallowing the user to select a date or time can also be used.

In some examples, the user can select different response times for eachrecipient associated with the various recipient-specific sliders 184.For example, turning a recipient-specific slider 184 to “ON” can cause agrid 190 to be displayed under that slide 184. The grid 190 can be thegrid 190 described with respect to FIG. 1B, or can be a truncatedversion of that grid 190. In another example, turning arecipient-specific slider 184 to “ON” can cause a button to be displayednext to the slider 184 of the recipient's name, where the buttonlaunches a date selector or other mechanism for selecting a particulardate and time. In some examples where multiple recipient-specificsliders 184 are presented to the user, a separate slider, button, ortoggle can be provided that allows the user to select whether the samedate or time should apply to all applicable recipients, or whether theuser would like to choose individual dates or times for each applicablerecipient.

FIG. 1F depicts a user device 110 with a GUI 120 displaying an emailreceived from a sending user. The subject line 142 of the GUI 120displays the subject of the email, while a function bar 132 provides therecipient with options for saving, archiving, deleting, or taking otheractions with respect to the email. The sender line 144 includesinformation about the sender, including their name and the time that theemail was sent. The date line 146 includes the full date and time atwhich the email was sent. The recipient line 148 includes informationregarding the recipients of the email.

FIG. 1F also includes a section 186 displaying information regarding aresponse reminder associated with the email. The information in section186 can be automatically added to the email by the sender's emailapplication, the recipient's email application, an email server, or agateway associated with either the sender or recipient (or both). Insome examples, such as the example shown in FIG. 1D, the sending usercan edit the text within section 182 of the draft email. That editedtext can then be displayed to a recipient in section 186 of the receivedemail. In the example of FIG. 1F, the section 186 informs the recipientthat the sender (Anne) has requested responses from two of therecipients (John and Kate) by a particular date. This information can beuseful to the recipient even in situations, such as here, where therecipient has not been requested to respond.

In some examples, a response reminder can cause an email to be sent to amanager or other individual associated with the recipient to which theresponse reminder applies. For example, when a response reminder isapplied to an email sent to a salesperson, the salesperson's manager canreceive a copy of the email with information regarding the responsereminder, such as a section 186 providing details about the reminder.Whether a manager or other individual is copied on an email can bedetermined by organizational groups stored at a management server, forexample. Information regarding the organizational groups can also bestored on a user device 110. An administrator can establish hierarchicalrelationships using the organizational groups, thereby defining who willreceived copies of emails including response reminders.

When a manager or other individual is copied on an email as a result ofa response reminder, the email copy can be sent from the sender's userdevice 110, such as by adding the manager in a “CC” field. In anotherexample, an email server, gateway, or management server can forward theoriginal email to the manager or generate a copy of the email to send tothe manager. In yet another example, the email server, gateway, ormanagement server can generate a new email providing a truncated versionof the original email but including the response reminder information,in order to conserve bandwidth.

As shown in FIG. 2, the email application can also provide the user witha Reminder Center 240 for the Smart Response Assistant 230. The ReminderCenter 240 can be a page of the email application that collects all therelevant response-reminder information in one location for the benefitof the user. This provides the user with easy access to all outstandingresponse reminders, allowing the user to easily view, follow up, delete,or revise the reminders without unnecessary searching.

In the example of FIG. 2, the user has four outstanding responsereminders that have been sent to various users. The first column 250includes information regarding the due date of the requested response,including whether the response is overdue. The second column 260includes the recipient's name and the subject of the email upon whichthe reminder is based. As can be seen in the drawing, the first reminderto John Doe is past due, while Jane Smith still has one day to respondand the remaining recipients have three days, respectively.

The user can send a reminder by selecting the option in the third column270. The reminder can be a new email, a forward of the original email,or a forward of the original email with an additional header indicatingthe due date for responding. In some examples, selecting the “remind”button from column 270 provides the user with options to select the typeof reminder email that is sent. In another example, selecting the“remind” button can also provide an option for the user to manuallyenter text to be included in the reminder email. In still anotherexample, the “remind” button can allow the user to set a reminder tooccur automatically rather than requiring user approval at the scheduledreminder time.

The user can delete reminders using the delete buttons provided in thefourth column 280. The option to manually delete reminders can be usefulin situations where the email application does not automatically promptthe user to delete the reminder as a result of receiving a responseemail (as discussed further in FIGS. 3 and 4). For example, this can beuseful where the original email recipient provides the requestedinformation in person, over the phone, or by sending an email that isnot related to the original email upon which the reminder was based. TheReminder Center can also include an option 290 for adding a newreminder. Selecting this option can launch a new page of the emailapplication that allows the user to select a previously sent email towhich the reminder should apply, select a response deadline, and thencause the email application to generate a calendar file to be sent tothe recipient and loaded into their electronic calendar.

The user can also view additional details for a response reminder byselecting the reminder from the list shown in the Reminder Center 240.For example, the user can select a reminder by selecting an entry in thesecond column 260. Doing so can open a page of the email applicationspecific to that reminder, providing options to adjust various itemssuch as the response deadline, subject line of the reminder, or set up afuture reminder email in the event that a response is not received. Forexample, the user can select the entry associated with Kate Miller andelect to send a reminder email in two days, when only one day wouldremain before the response was due.

Reminders can be generated and stored without associated calendarevents. On the sender's side, generating a response reminder (using anyof the options described with respect to FIGS. 1A-1F, for example) cancause an instruction or a file to be sent to an email server, gateway,or management server. In some examples, the email server, gateway, ormanagement server can recognize a response reminder as an email istransmitted, and as a result, generate the instruction or file at theemail server, gateway, or management server. The instruction or file canbe stored and used for providing future reminders or notifications, evenwhere no calendar event is used.

In one example, a user drafting an email can select options forproviding a response reminder to a recipient of the email without usinga calendar event. The email application on the user's device 110 cangenerate an instruction or file to be sent—separately from the email oras a part of it—to an email server, gateway, or management server. Theemail server, gateway, or management server can determine whether aresponse is received by the deadline. For example, it can query the userdevice 110 to determine whether the user has removed the reminder fromthe Reminder Center 240. In another example, the email server, gateway,or management server assumes that a response has not been receivedunless notification is provided from the user (such as through an emailapplication on the user's device 110). If a response has not beenreceived by a threshold time associated with a relevant deadline, theemail server, gateway, or management server can generate a notificationand send it to the recipient from which a response is required. Forexample, a server or gateway can generate an email reminder to the userand optionally attach the original email for which a response isrequired, send an SMS, MMS, or other message to the user, reminder theuser of the required response.

A flowchart of an example method is provided in FIG. 3. The flowchartincludes a user device 110, such as the devices 110 shown in FIGS. 1A-2,a recipient device 310, and a recipient calendar 315. The recipientdevice 310 can be any computing device, such as a smartphone, laptop,tablet, personal computer, or workstation, used by the recipient of anemail sent by the user device 110. The recipient device 310 can includean email application, but need not use the same email application as theuser device 110. The recipient device 310 can include an electroniccalendar 315 as part of the email application or as a separateapplication. The electronic calendar 315 can also be a calendar storedon a different device, such as a laptop or a cloud server, to which therecipient device 310 has access.

Stage 320 of the method includes generating a draft email at the userdevice 110. This can include, for example, the user accessing the emailapplication on the user device 110 and selecting an option to compose anew email, respond to an email, or forward an email. The emailapplication can be an aftermarket email solution, such as VMWARE'sBOXER, or a standard email application installed as part of theoperating system on the user device 110.

At stage 325, a first option is provided to the user for enabling arecipient response reminder for the draft email. For example, the emailapplication can provide a prompt 160, such as the one shown anddescribed in FIG. 1A. The prompt 160 can include a slider 170, button,or other selection mechanism allowing the user to indicate that he orshe would like a response reminder to be sent to the recipient for thatparticular email. In some examples, the response reminder can beautomatically turned on for a draft email, with the first option beingan option to turn off the response reminder. The response reminder canbe automatically turned on in situations where the email applicationdetermines that a response is needed by a certain date, such as byparsing the text of the draft email.

At stage 330, a second option is provided to the user for selecting adate or time period for the reminder. An example of a second option isshown in FIG. 1B, where the email application has displayed a grid 190with various date options that allow the user to select a date and time.Another example of a second option is a date-selector window that allowsthe user to view entire months at once, scroll between months, andselect a day from the selected month. The date-selector can also includean input for a specific time. The second option can also be selectedautomatically by the email application in an example, such as by parsingtext to recognize a desired or required response date.

In some examples, the first and second options provided at stages 325and 330 can be combined and presented as one feature. FIG. 1C providessuch an example, where the email application has parsed the text of thedraft email and determined that a response might be needed by theupcoming Friday. In response to that determination, the emailapplication presents a box 194 displaying a prompt for the user to set aresponse reminder for the recipient based on the date inferred by theemail application. The user can then select from one or more responsebuttons 196 to confirm, cancel, or revise the response remindersuggested by the email application. In this example, the prompt of box194 along with the response buttons 196 combines both the first thesecond options, as it allows to the user to both enable a responsereminder and select a particular date or time for the reminder.

At stage 335 of the method, a calendar file is generated at the userdevice 110. The calendar file can be an .ICS file or any other filecompatible with the recipient calendar 315. In some examples, the emailapplication on the user device 110 can query the recipient device 310, amanagement server, or an email server associated with the recipient, todetermine the format required for a calendar file to work seamlesslywith the recipient calendar 315. If the email application cannotdetermine a correct format for the calendar file, it can generate morethan one type of calendar file to ensure that at least one will beusable by the recipient calendar 315.

In some examples, the calendar file can be generated by a device otherthan the user device 110. For example, an email server or SEG cangenerate the calendar file based on instructions provided by the userdevice 110 upon sending the email. In yet another example, a managementserver can generate the calendar file and send it to the samedestination as the email. If the recipient device 310 is enrolled withthe management server, the management server can access the recipientcalendar 315 directly.

Stage 340 can include attaching the calendar file to the email. In someexamples, the calendar file is generated at stage 335 and attached atstage 340 before the email is sent. In other examples, the generationand attachment of the calendar file occurs during the process of sendingthe email. For example, after a user selects the first and secondoptions and attempts to send the email, the email application cangenerate the calendar file and attach it to the outgoing email. In yetanother example, the email application send the calendar file in aseparate message or email, rather than attaching it to the originaloutgoing email.

Stage 345 can include sending the email and calendar file to therecipient device 310. As mentioned above, the calendar file can be sentas an attachment to the email or in a separate email, message, orinstruction. This stage can include sending the email and calendar fileto one or more SEGs and email servers that can route the email from theuser device 110 to the recipient device 310.

Stage 350 can include, upon receiving the email and calendar file at therecipient device 310, populating the recipient calendar 315 with anentry corresponding with the calendar file. For example, the calendarfile can be configured such that it is automatically added to therecipient's calendar when the email is delivered. In some examples, therecipient can be prompted with an option to accept the calendar eventprovided by the sender. If the recipient declines the calendar event,the sender will be notified. If the email application is a managedapplication, then the recipient can be restricted from declining thecalendar event. In some examples, the recipient can decline the calendarevent received from certain users but not others. For example, arecipient might be able to decline a calendar event from a member of thesales group, but not a calendar event from a member of the executivegroup. These rules can be set by an administrator through a managementserver.

Stage 355 can include receiving a response from the recipient device 310at the user device 110. The response can be an email reply from therecipient, responding to the email transmitted at stage 345. In someexamples, the response can be a new email from the recipient, or aforward of a different email. In yet other examples, the response can bea non-email message, such as an SMS, MMS, instant message, or chatmessage. Depending on the form and content of the response, the emailapplication on the user device 110 can potentially identify that theoriginal recipient has responded. In that case, the user device 110 canask the user for an indication that an adequate response has beenreceived.

The email application on the user device 110 can use various methods toidentify that the original recipient has responded. As explainedearlier, the email application can track all outstanding responsereminders sent by a user. When an email is received at the user device110 from any individual for which a response reminder remainsoutstanding, the user device 110 can analyze the email to determinewhether it is likely to be an adequate response. For example, if theincoming email contains a similar subject line to the email sent atstage 345, the email application can infer that it is a response to thatemail. Taking the example email of FIG. 1A, a response fromjdoe@vmware.com with the subject line “Re: Requested Information” wouldtrigger the email application to ask the user whether the response emailsufficiently responds to the original email. Any type of threaded emailresponse (for example, forwards and replies) can be a trigger. The emailapplication can then prompt the user with such a question in the body ofthe email, at a location where the user is likely to have read asufficient portion of the email before being asked to respond to theprompt.

Even where the response email is not a direct response to the email sentat stage 345, the email application on the user device 110 can usetechniques to determine whether the response email contains a suitableresponse. The email application on the user device 110, or an emailserver, can parse the text of the response email received at stage 355and compare the context of the email with the context of the email sentto the recipient device 310 at stage 345. For example, the originalemail to the recipient device 310 can ask for the product specs for aparticular product number, such as “Product No. ABC123.” Upon receivinga response email from the recipient, the email application on the userdevice 110 can parse the text of the response, as well as anyattachments, to look for key words such as “ABC123.” If the key word isfound, the email application can prompt the user to provide anindication that a suitable response was received.

At stage 360, the user can provide an indication that an adequateresponse was received. The indication can be provided in a variety ofways. In one example, the email application determines that a responsewas received from the recipient and prompts the user with a question,such as “Would you like to remove the response reminder for your emailtitled ‘Requesting Information’ sent yesterday at 2 P.M.?” The questioncan include a yes and a no button for the user to select. If the userselects “yes,” the email application can take actions to remove theresponse reminder from the recipient calendar 315.

At stage 365, the user device 110 can send an instruction to therecipient device 310 to remove the calendar event from the recipientcalendar 315. The instruction need not go directly from the user device110 to the recipient device 310, however. In some examples, theinstruction is sent from the user device 110 to an email serverassociated with the recipient device 310. In another example, theinstruction is sent to a management server (as discussed with respect toFIG. 4).

Upon receiving an instruction to remove the calendar event, therecipient device 310 can cause the calendar event to be removed from therecipient calendar 315 at stage 370. The calendar event can be removedsilently without user interaction. In some examples, the email serverassociated with the recipient device 310 can act on behalf of therecipient device 310 and remove the calendar event from the recipientcalendar 315. When the calendar event has been removed from therecipient calendar 315, the email application on the user device 110 canbe updated. For example, the associated reminder can be removed from theReminder Center 240 of FIG. 2. The email application can also provide anotification on the user device 110, such as a banner notification onthe home screen of the user device 110 or a pop-up bubble within theapplication.

FIG. 4 provides an example diagram of a method similar to the method ofFIG. 3, with the addition of a management server 410 and its relatedfunctionality. The management server 410 can control managedapplications installed on the user device 110 or recipient device 310,such as managed email applications. An administrator can configurefunctionality and access restrictions for particular users or groups ofusers at the management server 410. Then the management server 410 cancontrol file access and device functionality of the user device 110 orrecipient device 310 accordingly. For example, the management server 410can turn off functionality at a device, such as printing, emailing, orInternet access. Additionally, a content application on a first userdevice can be configured to allow access to a first repository but not asecond, whereas a second user device can be configured to access thesecond repository. These access and functionality settings can be storedin profiles that the management server 410 links to users or userdevices.

The management server 410 can control managed applications throughinteraction with a management agent that can execute on the user device110. The management agent can be an application or part of an operatingsystem, and can enable or disable functionality on the user device 110.The management agent can be installed when the user device 110 enrollswith the management server 410, in one example. The management server410 can be part of an enterprise mobility management (“EMM”) system. Themanagement server 410 can dictate which managed applications areinstalled, based, for example, on which user group a user belongs to.Similarly, specific functionality within the managed applications can beenabled or disabled by the management server 410, and can vary per useror user group.

The management server 410 can communicate with the user device 110,recipient device 310, and any respective email servers or SEGs. Thiscommunication can take place over a network using one or moremodulators, demodulators, multiplexers, demultiplexers, networkcommunication devices, wireless devices, antennas, modems, and any othertype of device configured to enable data communication through acommunication network. The network over which files are sent andretrieved can be an enterprise network in one example. The network caninclude the Internet, a local area network, or any other suitablecommunication platform. The components can communicate over the networkusing one or more modulators, demodulators, multiplexers,demultiplexers, network communication devices, wireless devices,antennas, modems, and any other type of device configured to enable datacommunication through a communication network.

The management server 410 can also monitor the use of response remindersand implement controls on certain users where necessary. For example,the management server 410 can enforce a rule that prevents a user from afirst user group from sending a response reminder to a user in a seconduser group. Such a rule can be used to prevent a member of a sales groupor accounting group from sending a response reminder to a member of theexecutive group, but allow the members of the executive group to sendresponse reminders to any other group. The management server 410 canalso implement limits on the frequency of using response reminders toprevent abuse. For example, if a user sends more than 10 responsereminders a day or sends response reminders on more than 50% of theiroutgoing emails, the management server 410 can disable theresponse-reminder feature for that user, either temporarily orpermanently. The management server 410 can also receive feedback fromusers that receive response reminders, allowing those users to reportother users that abuse the feature. An administrator can customizevarious rules and features at a console for implementation by themanagement server 410.

Turning back to FIG. 4, the stages shown occur after the user devicegenerates a draft email, provides first and second options for the userto select with respect to a response reminder, and generates andattaches an electronic calendar file. These stages are discussed abovewith reference to stages 320, 325, 330, and 340 of FIG. 3.

At stage 415 the user device 110 can send an email and calendar file tothe recipient device 310, either directly or by routing through one ormore email servers and SEGs. At stage 420, the user device 110 can sendreminder information to the management server 410. Stage 420 can takeplace simultaneously, or in advance of, stage 415. The reminderinformation can include any relevant information about a responsereminder requested by a user. For example, it can identify theparticular email, recipient, and the details of the first and secondoptions selected by the user with respect to the details of the responsereminder.

In some examples, the email and calendar file are sent separately orfrom different locations. For example, the management server 410 canreceive the reminder information from the user device 110 regarding aresponse reminder that a user wishes to include with an outgoing email.Instead of the user device 110 generating the calendar file, themanagement server 410 can generate the calendar file when it detectsthat the email has been sent. The management server 410 can transmit thecalendar file to the recipient device 310 or to an email serverassociated with the recipient device 310.

Stage 425 can include populating the recipient calendar 315 with acalendar event associated with the calendar file sent at stage 415.Populating the recipient calendar 315 with the calendar event can beperformed by the recipient device 310, as shown in FIG. 4, or by anemail server, SEG, or management server 410. In the example providedabove where the management server 410 creates the calendar file, themanagement server 410 can also communicate with the email serverassociated with the recipient device 310 to populate the recipientcalendar 315 with the calendar event.

Stage 430 can include updating the reminder information and providingthe updated information to the management server 410. This stage isoptional, as the sending user may not need to update the reminder. Insome cases, however, the user may want to change the deadline forresponding or alter some other information associated with a responsereminder. For example, the user can access the Reminder Center 240 shownin FIG. 2, select the relevant reminder entry, and change the deadlineto provide the recipient with less or more time to respond. Upon doingso, the email application on the user device 110 can send updatedreminder information to the management server 410.

The management server 410 can update the calendar entry on the recipientcalendar 315 at stage 435. For example, the management server 410 cansend an instruction to an email server associated with the recipientdevice 310 with instructions to update the calendar entry. Themanagement server 410 can thereby update the calendar entry withoutneeding to send a new email or otherwise inconvenience the sender orrecipient.

The management server 410 can also track deadlines and provideadditional reminders as necessary. For example, if a recipient misses orignores a calendar reminder, the management server 410 can follow up atstage 440 by sending a notification of an overdue response. Thenotification can be provided by the management server 410 in a varietyof forms. In one example, the management server 410 sends a notificationinstruction to a managed email application on the recipient device 310,where the notification instruction causes the application to generate anotification on the recipient device 310. The notification can includeinformation about the email to which a response is still required. Themanagement server 410 can also send a new email to the recipient device310 with information about the missed deadline, or even populate a newcalendar event in the recipient calendar 315 that includes a more urgenttitle or other urgent markings.

At stage 445, a response can be received at the user device 110 from therecipient device 310. The response can be an email reply from therecipient, responding to the email transmitted at stage 415. In someexamples, the response can be a new email from the recipient, or aforward of a different email. In yet other examples, the response can bea non-email message, such as an SMS, MMS, instant message, or chatmessage. Depending on the form and content of the response, the emailapplication on the user device 110 can potentially identify that theoriginal recipient has responded. In that case, the user device 110 canask the user for an indication that an adequate response has beenreceived.

As explained with respect to FIG. 3, the email application on the userdevice 110 can use various methods to identify that the originalrecipient has responded. The email application can analyze an emailreceived from a recipient associated with a response reminder todetermine if the email is likely to be an adequate response. Forexample, the email application can consider the subject line of theemail and whether it includes the subject of the original email. Inanother example, the email application can parse the text of theresponse email and compare it to other context, such as the text of theoriginal email. In some examples, the management server 410 can performsome or all of the analysis of a response email to determine whether itis likely to be a response that satisfies the response reminder. Forexample, the management server 410 can gather information from theresponse email and apply various machine-learning algorithms, takingadvantage of the increased storage capacity and processing power of aserver, or set of servers, relative to the capabilities of the userdevice 110.

At stage 450, the user can provide an indication that an adequateresponse was received. The indication can be provided in a variety ofways. For example, the email application can provide a prompt to theuser, such as a question asking the user whether the response from stage445 satisfies the requirements underlying the response reminderassociated with the original email to the recipient. The user canrespond by selecting a yes or no button, in an example. In anotherexample, the indication at stage 450 can be provided by the user throughthe Reminder Center 240 detailed in FIG. 2. The indication can beprovided to the management server 410 from the user device 110.

Upon receiving the indication from the user device 110, the managementserver 410 can perform steps for removing the calendar entry on therecipient calendar 315 at stage 455. For example, the management server410 can send an instruction to an email server associated with therecipient device 310, instructing the email server to remove thecalendar entry. The management server 410 can send a confirmation to theuser device 110 if desired, informing the user that the reminder hasbeen deleted.

FIG. 5 provides a flowchart of an example method for improving emailefficiency. The method can be carried out by a user device 110,management server 410, email server, SEG, or a combination thereof.Stage 510 can include generating a draft email in an email applicationthe user device 110. This can include, for example, having the useraccess the email application on the user device 110 and select an optionto compose a new email, respond to an email, or forward an email. Theemail application can an aftermarket email solution, such as VMWARE'sBOXER, or a standard email application installed as part of theoperating system on the user device 110.

At stage 520, a first option is provided for a sender to enable arecipient response reminder for the email. For example, the emailapplication can provide a prompt 160 such as the one shown and describedin FIG. 1A. The prompt 160 can include a selection mechanism allowingthe user to indicate that he or she would like a response reminder to besent to the recipient for that particular email. In some examples, theresponse reminder can be automatically turned on for a draft email, withthe first option being an option to turn off the response reminder. Theresponse reminder can be automatically turned on in situations where theemail application determines that a response is needed by a certaindate, such as by parsing the text of the draft email.

At stage 530, a second option is provided for the sender to select adate or time period for the reminder enabled at stage 520. An example ofa second option is the grid 190 of FIG. 1B, which provides various datesor times for the user to select from. Yet another example of a secondoption is a date selector that provides that ability to select aparticular date and optionally input a specific time. In some examples,stages 520 and 530 can be performed simultaneously or with a singleaction. An example of this is explained with respect to FIG. 1C, wherethe email application has determined that a response might be neededbased on the text of the draft email. The email application can promptthe user with a combined option to set a response reminder for aparticular date, providing both the first and second option in oneselection.

At stage 540, a calendar file is automatically generated based on thefirst and second options. This stage can be performed at the user device110 or elsewhere, such as at a management server 410 or email server.The calendar file can be an .ICS file or any other file compatible withthe recipient calendar 315. At stage 550, the calendar file can beattached to the draft email. In some alternate examples, the calendarfile is sent separately rather than being attached to the draft email.For example, a management server 410 can generate and deliver a calendarfile based on information received from the user device 110 regarding anoutgoing email and related response reminder.

Stage 560 can include sending the email and calendar file to arecipient. The calendar file can be configured to automatically populatean entry on the recipient's calendar based on the first and secondoptions selected by the sender. For example, the calendar entry wouldmatch the date and time selected by the user. In some examples, thecalendar entry is shown on the recipient's calendar in a preliminaryfashion, requiring the recipient to accept or deny the event beforefully entering it into the calendar.

Stage 570 can include, in response to receiving an indication from thesender that a response has been received, causing the calendar entry onthe recipient's calendar to be removed. The indication can be providedin a variety of ways. In one example, the email application determinesthat a response was received from the recipient and prompts the userwith a question asking whether the user would like to remove theresponse reminder for the associated email. If the user agrees, theemail application can take actions to remove the response reminder fromthe recipient calendar. For example, the user device can send aninstruction to the recipient device 310 to remove the calendar eventfrom the recipient calendar 315. In some examples, the instruction issent from the user device 110 to an email server associated with therecipient device 310. In other examples, the instruction is sent to amanagement server 410 which removes the calendar event from therecipient calendar 315. The management server 410 can remove the eventby, for example, sending an instruction to an email server associatedwith the recipient calendar 315.

Other examples of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled inthe art from consideration of the specification and practice of theexamples disclosed herein. Though some of the described methods havebeen presented as a series of steps, it should be appreciated that oneor more steps can occur simultaneously, in an overlapping fashion, or ina different order. The order of steps presented is only illustrative ofthe possibilities and those steps can be executed or performed in anysuitable fashion. Moreover, the various features of the examplesdescribed here are not mutually exclusive. Rather any feature of anyexample described here can be incorporated into any other suitableexample. It is intended that the specification and examples beconsidered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of thedisclosure being indicated by the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for improving email efficiency,comprising: providing a first option for a sender to enable a recipientresponse reminder for a draft email; providing a second option for thesender to select a date or time period for the reminder; if the firstand second options are selected by the sender, automatically generatinga calendar file based on the first and second options; attaching thecalendar file to the draft email; sending the email and attachedcalendar file to a recipient, wherein the attached calendar file isconfigured to automatically populate an entry on the recipient'scalendar based on the first and second options selected by the sender;and in response to receiving an indication from the sender that aresponse has been received, causing the calendar entry on therecipient's calendar to be removed.
 2. The method of claim 1, whereincausing the calendar entry on the recipient's calendar to be removedfurther comprises sending a request to a management server at which boththe sender and recipient are enrolled.
 3. The method of claim 1, whereincausing the calendar entry on the recipient's calendar to be removedfurther comprises sending a request to the recipient's email server. 4.The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a list of allrecipient response reminders sent by the sender.
 5. The method of claim1, further comprising prompting the sender to provide an indication thata response has been received based on receiving a reply to the sentemail.
 6. The method of claim 5, wherein prompting the sender is based,at least in part, on parsing text of the received reply.
 7. The methodof claim 1, further comprising automatically sending a reminder email tothe recipient when no indication from the sender has been received bythe selected date or time period.
 8. A system for improving emailefficiency, comprising: a user device comprising a processor, a display,and an email application, wherein the processor of the user deviceperforms stages comprising: providing a first option in the emailapplication for a sender to enable a recipient response reminder for adraft email; providing a second option in the email application for thesender to select a date or time period for the reminder; if the firstand second options are selected by the sender, automatically generatinga calendar file based on the first and second options; attaching thecalendar file to the draft email; sending the email and attachedcalendar file to a recipient, wherein the attached calendar file isconfigured to automatically populate an entry on the recipient'scalendar based on the first and second options selected by the sender;and in response to receiving an indication from the sender that aresponse has been received, causing the calendar entry on therecipient's calendar to be removed.
 9. The system of claim 8, furthercomprising a management server, wherein causing the calendar entry onthe recipient's calendar to be removed comprises sending a request fromthe user device to the management server.
 10. The system of claim 8,wherein causing the calendar entry on the recipient's calendar to beremoved further comprises sending a request to the recipient's emailserver.
 11. The system of claim 8, further comprising providing withinthe email application a list of all recipient response reminders sent bythe sender.
 12. The system of claim 8, further comprising prompting thesender to provide an indication that a response has been received basedon receiving a reply to the sent email.
 13. The system of claim 12,wherein prompting the sender is based, at least in part, on parsing textof the received reply.
 14. The system of claim 8, further comprisingautomatically sending a reminder email to the recipient when noindication from the sender has been received by the selected date ortime period.
 15. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium includinginstructions that, when executed by a processor a computing device,cause the processor to perform stages for improving email efficiency,the stages comprising: providing a first option for a sender to enable arecipient response reminder for a draft email; providing a second optionfor the sender to select a date or time period for the reminder; if thefirst and second options are selected by the sender, automaticallygenerating a calendar file based on the first and second options;attaching the calendar file to the draft email; sending the email andattached calendar file to a recipient, wherein the attached calendarfile is configured to automatically populate an entry on the recipient'scalendar based on the first and second options selected by the sender;and in response to receiving an indication from the sender that aresponse has been received, causing the calendar entry on therecipient's calendar to be removed.
 16. The non-transitory,computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein causing the calendar entryon the recipient's calendar to be removed further comprises sending arequest to a management server at which both the sender and recipientare enrolled.
 17. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim15, wherein causing the calendar entry on the recipient's calendar to beremoved further comprises sending a request to the recipient's emailserver.
 18. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 15,further comprising providing a list of all recipient response reminderssent by the sender.
 19. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium ofclaim 15, further comprising prompting the sender to provide anindication that a response has been received based on receiving a replyto the sent email.
 20. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium ofclaim 15, further comprising automatically sending a reminder email tothe recipient when no indication from the sender has been received bythe selected date or time period.